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Lockdown days: Anup Kumar opens up about life as Kabaddi player and policeman

The cool and composed Anup Kumar is known for his representation of the Indian team and for his historic win as a captain in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

Anup Kumar

Mumbai, May 29: The cool and composed Anup Kumar is known for his representation of the Indian team and for his historic win as a captain in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

Anup has been an active supporter of kabaddi and has been part of the prestigious Pro Kabaddi League since its inception, he joined as a player and now is the coach of the Puneri Paltan franchisee. He has had an elaborate career as a player and now aims at training youngsters to do better for the sport.

Anup has also actively performing his role of a Police Inspector for the Haryana Police Department and has been serving the nation during this tough period of COVID-19, urging people in his district to stay home and do their part as a citizen of the country.

While speaking about his police duty on vivo Pro Kabaddi's weekly Instagram Live chat series 'Beyond The Mat', Anup said, "I have been posted in Rewari, Haryana and I try to go on duty as much as possible so that I can help out on ground and convince people to stay at home.

"My only request to all is to follow the guidelines of the government and stay at home because that is the only way we can stop this problem."

Anup credits his coaches from CRPF for helping him to excel in the game and start his Kabaddi career. His guidance has helped other players to improve their game and perform better and his cool and calm nature during tough situations helps him to take better decisions.

Anup has been part of many memorable matches a few out which he played in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

While speaking about India's surprising loss to South Korea in 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, Anup Kumar said, "With every loss we learn a lesson, personally, I feel I made a couple of mistakes during the game which would have cost us the match, it was saddening but our coach never lost hope and kept motivating us.

"We played every game after that with more confidence and I knew that we had an outstanding team which could win the tournament."

Anup Kumar's inspiring career has been a motivation for many youngsters, many of them look up to him as role model because of his success in the game.

Anup has been a great advocate of Kabaddi and he tries to embed his qualities to his team, he believes in playing the game the right way, respecting the officials and not make hasty decisions during crucial moments. He always tries to keep his calm and strategically make decisions which can help his team to achieve victory.

Anup Kumar gives advice to the youngsters on 'Beyond The Mat' saying, "Discipline always comes first, even if you are a great player, you need to be a good human being with a good nature.

"Youngsters nowadays are getting platforms like Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) which we never had, the facilities have improved now but we have seen the hardships during our times and hence they have to make sure they are disciplined while playing the game.

"Keep doing hard work, aim to become a better player and if you play with a good heart and discipline, you will see more people admiring your game."

Anup Kumar received love from different parts of the country while he was speaking on Instagram and fans poured in with their messages for the legend admiring his nature and career and what he has done for the country.

Fans also asked different questions about his Kabaddi journey, what he felt about the game and how he grew to become a legend in the sport. Anup Kumar answered all questions of the fans and also clarified on the custom of players swearing by the mat during the game.

Anup Kumar sheds light on the famous swearing by the mat by players during a match, "You can call it a tradition of sorts, we used to see our seniors do it and then we followed them.

"The mat for all the players is like God and we respect the mat more than anything, so if a player has touched the defender and the defender denies it, swearing by the mat means he's not lying and the defender might not have known due to different reasons, it is a sign of him saying that he is telling the truth."

Anup Kumar is loved by all, his illustrious career as a kabaddi player for India is an example of the legacy he has left behind.

A role model for youngsters, Anup Kumar has been a great example of a sports person guiding people in the right direction with his learnings. He has shown that he is a HERO both on and off the mat with his service to the country as a policeman during the current pandemic.

Source: Press Release

Story first published: Friday, May 29, 2020, 13:33 [IST]
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